News Article | 4/22/2009

Westlake approves Deloitte site plan

Tax revenue and new employment opportunities await as Deloitte LLP pushes ahead with its planned corporate campus in Westlake.

The project reached a new stage on April 13 as the Westlake Town Council threw unanimous support to the site plan and preliminary plat of a $300 million development on 107 acres bounded by Dove, Ottinger and Precinct Line roads and Texas 114.

The next step occurs this summer when Westlake’s next major corporate neighbor applies for a grading permit to begin dirt work.

“To say Deloitte is excited about the unanimous approval of our site plans is an understatement,” said Jon Eisele, project leader and Deloitte partner. “Mayor [Laura] Wheat and the entire town of Westlake have been great to work with throughout this process.”

Town officials have high hopes for a facility expected to reach completion in summer 2010.

“It will mean a number of things,” Town Manager Tom Brymer said, anticipating sales tax revenue and new employment opportunities from Deloitte University, as the project is known. “It will create a huge amount of construction activity and will impact jobs for the whole northeast Tarrant County area. Secondly, another impact to Westlake specifically is we have a very prestigious and new corporate community member.”

That’s because the site will house nothing less than Deloitte’s primary training facility, attracting personnel worldwide. Building and operating the center means added sales tax for Westlake.

“It will generate sales tax both in construction and operation,” Brymer said, pointing to a 800-room company hotel among other features in generating that revenue.

Set to welcome guests 51 weeks a year, the site is expected to keep area food suppliers, among other businesses, busy as guests enjoy training on a campus that also will include a 30,000-square-foot ballroom, restaurant, several cyber cafes and a data center.